Thomas Kim of The Rabbit Hole on Local Ingredients

By Joy Summers, presented by Bushel Boy

Published: February 2014

By Joy Summers

The flavors found inside The Rabbit Hole are an intoxicating mix of American classics and Korean comfort foods. Guests hungrily dig into enormous burgers, scarlet colored dumplings dressed in spicy sauce and egg topped kimchi fried rice that is just about as perfect a dish as you’ll find in the Twin Cities. Chef and owner Thomas Kim pulls from all of his culinary influences and what comes pours forth from his kitchen and bar has food fans fawning.

What many of his diners might not know is that Kim is committed to sourcing his ingredients locally whenever possible. The pork comes from a farmer in Glencoe. His chickens are raised on two different small poultry farmers that are an easy drive away. Produce is harder to come by in our chilly winter months.

“I use Bushel Boy tomatoes on our burgers. The Appa has this jalapeno tomato jam and The Omma has sliced tomato.” There’s a reason they call these guys “goobers,” short for good burgers. The Appa is also adorned with crumbles of tangy blue cheese, melted Gruyere, bourbon spiked onions, seriously smoky bacon, that tangy jam and piled onto a butter-domed bun.

The beef in those burgers, however, isn’t local. It’s from nationally renowned Niman Ranch. “Their quality is incredible. I hope to use more local ingredients,” Kim said. “The problem for us is consistency. Someplace like The Strip Club in St. Paul is so good because they can take what they get and change the menu. Ours is more set.”

One thing is certain, it’s a consistently fun menu to get lost within.

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